072: Lost Apples of the Quabbin | Massachusetts

The Quabbin Reservoir’s Legacy of Forgotten Apple Trees

Lost Apples of the Quabbin is a presentation by Al Sax and Matt Kaminsky documenting their 2016 research and quest for mapping out the apple trees in this historical reservoir region.

cider Chat Episode 072 Lost Apples of the Quabbin Al & Matt
l to r Al Sax and Matt Kaminsky

The Quabbin Reservoir was created to supply water to eastern Massachusetts. This construction required moving out the residents and un-incorporating 4 towns Dana, Prescott, Enfiled, and Greenwich. Needless to say, this was an extreme hardship for the residents as people, homes and the entire landscape was changed to create the massive reservoir.

Cider Chat Episode 072 Lost Apples Quabbin Two Alden girls in apple
Two Alden girls in apple tree

How big is the Quabbin Reservoir?

Ep: 72 Cider Chat Lost Apples of Quabbin Image 45 - graft
  • unlike what I said in the podcast (10,000 acres) it is 120,000 acres

Al and Matt are looking for unknown apple varieties that might still be left on the hillsides and mountain tops that were left untouched so many years later.

Al and Matt’s main research tools

  • Binoculars
  • Tick gators, as ticks carry an auto immune ideas call Lyme
  • An apple picker, which is a long pole with a cup at the end used to reach for fruit high up on the tree.
Cider Chat Episode 072 Al Sax working with Refractometer
Al working with the refractometer
Cider Chat Episode 072 Al Sax in Quabbin

List of Apples that were grown at the Quabbin

  • Alexander
  • Baldwin*
  • Bellflower
  • Bethel
  • Ben Davis
  • Blue Parmain
  • Canada Red
  • Duchess
  • Fall Pippin
  • Golden Russet*
  • Gravenstein*
  • Grimes Golden
  • Jonathan*
  • McIntosh*
  • Northern Spy*
  • Porter
  • Pound Sweet
  • Red Astrachan
  • Rhode Island Greening
  • St. Lawerence
  • Seek-No-Further (Westfield S-N-F?)
  • Sheep-Nose*
  • Smoke House
  • Snow Apple
  • Spitzenburg*
  • Strawberry
  • Summer Rambo
  • Tetofsky
  • Twenty-ounce
  • Tolman Sweet
  • Tompkins King
  • Wagner
  • Wealthy*
  • Winesap*
  • Winter Banana
  • Wolf River*
  • Yellow Transparent
  • York Imperial
Cider Chat Episode 072 Matt Kaminsky and old Apple Tree in Quabbin Reservoir
Matt and old tree in the Quabbin. The largest Apple tree found thus far!

Identifying apple trees in the wild

  • What is its form?
  • Leaf pattern
  • Leaf color
  • Trunk ( do you see a graft line)

Identifying apples in the wild

  • Color of skin
  • Taste
  • Refractometer for testing the level of sugar in the juice

– check out Matt’s books via his website https://gnarlypippins.com/2016/11/16/what-is-gnarly-pippins/

Cider Chat Episode 072 Matt Kaminsky's Apple Books for Quabbin Apples

Contact info for our Apple Explorers Al Sax and Matt Kaminsky

Haven’t downloaded this chat yet? Here is is again.


Season:Season 2
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